Savory Salad Dressings

• A dollop of mustard added to almost any bottled salad dressing adds some zip. Mustard also acts as an emulsifier for oil and vinegar-based dressings. This means the oil and vinegar won't separate. Make your own honey mustard vinaigrette by combining 1 part oil to 3 parts vinegar, along with mustard and honey.

Mustard in Marinades

• Amp up the flavor of marinades for fish, chicken, beef and vegetables with a mustard marinade. Combine cracked mustard seeds, dry mustard or mustard from a bottle or jar with an acid-based liquid such as wine, fruit juice or vinegar. Toss in some seasonings. Add your meat or vegetables and the marinade to a zip-top bag or plastic storage container. Refrigerate for one hour or up to overnight.

Sassy Sauces

• Create a simple sauce by combining pan drippings -- after you've cooked beef, pork or chicken -- with white wine. When the wine has reduced by one-half add in a dab of mustard or a sprinkle of dry mustard powder and a pat of butter. Remove it from the heat and swirl until the ingredients are combined. Another option is to turn cream sauce into mustard sauce by adding mustard. Turn cheese sauce tangy with a little mustard.

Robust Rubs and Crusts

• Mustard is the glue that helps rubs stick to the meat. Rub the meat with prepared mustard and then pat on fresh or dried herbs and your favorite seasonings. Another option is to crack mustard seeds by putting them in a black pepper grinder and using the seeds to coat a roast or steak.

Mighty Mustard Seed Sprouts

• Plant mustard seeds in the garden. In a few weeks you'll have lots of peppery mustard seedlings. The young leaves can be added to salads, while the stems and older leaves can be cooked and served as you would spinach, collard greens or kale. If you buy mustard seeds in bulk, buy a sprouting jar for fresh mustard sprouts.